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Rep. Admits 'Playing Politics' When He Asked For Suspension of Staffer
thinkprogress.org — An astoundingly candid interview by Rep. Ray LaHood (R-IL).
jlegum- 254 diggs
- digg it
- adb22791, on 10/12/2007, -4/+24Well at least he's an honest scum bag.
- vudicarus, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10we need more honest scumbags--or scumbags to be honest.
- unloud, on 10/12/2007, -4/+8Honest scum?
...
My head just exploded. - baxtermadux, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Trafficant was my favorite "Honest Scumbag". And he had a classy toupee.
- bobbknight, on 10/12/2007, -18/+10Think Progress = Democrat Apparachnik
All politics is politics!!!!!! - twinklyJesus, on 10/12/2007, -14/+8I heard this interview. He stated that if the Democrat member that was leaking documents was going to play [partisan] politics, there were members on the other side of the aisle that were willing to play too.
In other words, the Senior Democrat member of their committee had broken their committees' trust and leaked secret information to the media without mutual consent, therefore, he had published the rest of the pertinent information and supporting facts, in order to give "true" perspective to the situation. The interview was about the dishonesty employed by the Senior Democrat, not the Republican.
This is inaccurate, and a false representation of what occurred. Marked inaccurate. thinkprogress.org is just like moveon.org, it is a political mouthpiece and propaganda mill for the DNC, not a news source. - jlegum, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5This isn't true. He wrote the letter three weeks ago but the decision to suspend the staffer was made this week, after Harman released the Cunningham report.
- PowerCow, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4You should lose bury ability when you constantly mark things as inaccurate when there is no way possible that they are.
"Rep. Admits 'Playing Politics' When He Asked For Suspension of Staffer"
well that is exactly what happened on the video, twinkjesus
"An astoundingly candid interview by Rep. Ray LaHood"
this is also completely unbiased description, that is 100% true
I think that if people mark things as inaccurate, we should be able to mark that person as an idiot, if enough people mark them as an idiot, they lose the bury function for a month.
This isnt totally directed at you twink, but you were the last straw, i get so sick of the "i am going to bury this just cause i can, people"
- xrandom, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5More info is this post too:
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/10/20/harman-hoekstra/ - OriginalLucid1, on 10/12/2007, -17/+8Buried as inaccurate
The headline is misleading. (you are shocked I am sure.) La Hood "admits" that the TIMING OF THE RELEASE was political.
"She released it to the media just to embarrass, 21 days before the election, Republicans on the committee. That’s the reason that I released my letter today."
The investigation would have taken place, election or not.
By the way democrats, leaking classified info is ILLEGAL. Playing politics, is not. Your selective outrage is remarkable.- vietvet, on 10/12/2007, -1/+13OriginalLucid1 writes:
"By the way democrats, leaking classified info is ILLEGAL."
Harman released the Cunningham report, which was NOT classified. LaHood yanked the staffer's clearance, with NO evidence of wrong-doing, purely for political revenge and to get Fox news/Rush Limbaugh rants against Democrats.
This isn't just politics, it's dirty politics. The Republicans are just so comfortable with dishonesty that they sometimes forget to lie about it. - xGORDOx, on 10/12/2007, -11/+3Well put OriginalLucid, but your comment is based in truth and reality, and this is Digg.
If it ain't a Dem talking point from thinkprogress.com, then no one here wants to hear it. - PowerCow, on 10/12/2007, -6/+3Buried as inaccurate ?
Geez, i wonder if you would do the same for a amlkin with such a "misleading(lolol) title..
geeez how long did it take you to come up with the excuse to allow you to feel right about buriing this.
I can see you sweating over there, "there must be a single misleading or inaccurate word in this interview... mut not let the moderates thinkt he republican party is honest,,, er i mean political"
The bury function is abused int he politic section
and should be changed... ypou should only get so many buriies, or you should lose them when you are an idiot and bury things like this because you think you can twist and inaccuracy out of the title. And what is funny, this isnt very antirepublican... and if anything shows off teh partisanship of both parties and the honesty of this particular congresssman.
LOL xGORDOx, truth and reality, is that like fox fair and ballanced.. the info wasnt classified, didnt you read? But i guess that is too much truth and reality for you. Also whistleblowing isnt leaking.
- vietvet, on 10/12/2007, -1/+13OriginalLucid1 writes:
- Arkonnan, on 10/12/2007, -7/+6Since we're trying to smear the politician in the interview, shouldn't we change his representation to D-IL?
;p - snaggletooth, on 10/12/2007, -9/+6a politician "playing politics". that is funniest ***** term i have ever heard of.
...this just in...brett favre accussed of playing football against the chicago bears...what a scumbag. - p0s3r, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Funny how when it's a Dem the outrage is on the timing not the act.
- Deathfrogg, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8Originallucid
Quote: "She released it to the media just to embarrass, 21 days before the election, Republicans on the committee. That’s the reason that I released my letter today."
The investigation would have taken place, election or not.
By the way democrats, leaking classified info is ILLEGAL. Playing politics, is not. Your selective outrage is remarkable.
Quote from the interview:
LaHood said, “I’ll tell you why I did it. The reason I did it was because Jane Harman released the Duke Cunningham — who sat on our Intelligence committee — report.” That report, which detailed the misconduct of Cunningham, who is now serving a jail term, was NOT CLASSIFIED.
This means, it in fact was PUBLIC information, and critical to any political campaign. It is nessesary for the people to know all pertinent information about a candidate before an election whether you like the information or not. If the man is a scumbag, the people need to know that before the election, not after. After all, the man (Cunningham) is in fact, a total theiving scumbag, and needed to be put in jail, something that never would have happened if that misconduct report had never been made public.- infopro, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3Well put, D'frogg. It's truly amazing how some folks are so clueless they think they're the smart ones & everyone else are idiots. :)
- OriginalLucid1, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Deathfrogg says:
"That report, which detailed the misconduct of Cunningham, who is now serving a jail term, was NOT CLASSIFIED."
Well, you assumed I was talking about the Cunningham report. I guess no one told what assuming does.
The NIE, national intelligence estimate WAS CLASSIFIED, and the democrat staffer in question was suspected in leaking it which is why he was suspended. LaHood admitted that releasing that info at this time was pure politics. He did not say that the suspension was political, and nobody can point to where he did.
Deathfrogg says:
"After all, the man (Cunningham) is in fact, a total thieving scumbag, and needed to be put in jail, something that never would have happened if that misconduct report had never been made public."
Here is where you are talking out of your ass. While it is true that Cunningham is a thief and as such a scumbag, He had already resigned (something democrats never do regardless of the severity of there crimes) and been sentenced to jail long before this report was released. So you don't know from which you speak. RTFA, it clearly states that Harmon released said report just recently. LaHood clearly states "She released it to the media just to embarrass, 21 days before the election, Republicans on the committee." - mediablues, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3 by p0s3r 11 hours ago
" Funny how when it's a Dem the outrage is on the timing not the act. "
And may I add - Let's look at the media coverage -
No bias my ass -
BBC+CNN = nothin but crap - Deathfrogg, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Originalucid, Are you really that dense?
I reiterate:
LaHood said, “I’ll tell you why I did it. The reason I did it was because Jane Harman released the Duke Cunningham — who sat on our Intelligence committee — report.” That report, which detailed the misconduct of Cunningham, who is now serving a jail term, was not classified.
A Fox anchor asked, “So, it’s payback?” LaHood responded, “There are some of us on the other side who can equally play politics, and I’m not afraid to do it.”
Thats what he had the staffer fired for. Payback for the "embarrassment". NOT the release of the Intelligence report. In his own words. The intelligence report was released to the public by someone sitting on the committee, could be anyone. The GOP has a long history of leaking classified data to the press and blaming the Democrats for it (Valerie Plame anyone?). Its a Karl Rove method tried and perfected, and you brownshirts eat it up like its The Stuff or something.
Quote: "While it is true that Cunningham is a thief and as such a scumbag, He had already resigned (something democrats never do regardless of the severity of there crimes) and been sentenced to jail long before this report was released. So you don't know from which you speak. RTFA, it clearly states that Harmon released said report just recently. LaHood clearly states "She released it to the media just to embarrass, 21 days before the election, Republicans on the committee."
And the GOP has never done this? They do it every day in every campaign they run. They are the fomentors of the negative political ad, they invented it. they use every lie they can to aquire the office. Calling decorated veterans cowards and liars, saying things flat out like "if you vote for anyone but a christian your voting for Satan".
So whose talking ot of their ass? Grow up little boy. Bush is practically emperor in everything but name. And you goosestep to the music as bad as anyone else I've seen. - OriginalLucid1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Deathfrogg says (breathlessly):
"Originalucid, Are you really that dense?"
Well, I am not the one who believes releasing the Cunningham report (released after he was already in jail) is the only reason he is now in jail. That's dense my friend.
LaHood wrote the letter asking for the staffers SUSPENSION, (he wasn't fired, as you densely suggested) over three weeks ago. Again, RTFA. Harmon released the Cunningham report on Oct 17. So unless Ray LaHood possesses the ability to travel back in time, I doubt that "Thats what he had the staffer fired for." as you so densely suggest.
Get your time line right before you go around calling other people dense.
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